Without a word, she pulled away and crawled onto the bed, her upper body sinking into the mattress. Over her shoulder, she sent me an inviting smile, pulling her long, wild mane of curls to the side to bare her neck and back. Little minx. She knew exactly what she was doing, had taken my whisper and turned it into reality. But she didn’t really understand how it affected shiften, seeing our mates like this. Their necks exposed and ass in the air, just waiting to be taken. It was primal, a need like no other. It drove us to the edge of control, bringing out the animal inside us.

My growl erupted from my chest, filling the air as my canines lengthened, the urge to bite her, claim her, take her and finally make her mine hurtling through me.

Her bare ass wiggled in the air, teasing me. Then she sucked in a breath, her eyelids lowering, her gaze fixed on me as I closed the gap, stroking my shaft which was already fully primed and aching to be inside her. Pausing at the foot of the bed, I skimmed a finger down her spine, tracing the dimple nestled at the top of her beautifully rounded ass. “I love you, my Blue,” I repeated, my voice low and hoarse, grasping at the last of my control.

Her reply was a whisper, an oath, “And I love you, Nial. Forever, no matter what happens.” Rocking back into my touch, her low moan sliced through what was left of my control and I surged forward, pinning her hips with my hands as I thrust deep inside, marveling at the sensation of her surrounding me, tight and hot.

“Nial…” Her gasp was throaty and low, her body moving into me, urging me on as her unique scent sweetened to a heady sticky caramelized apple that wrapped around my senses and yanked away the last hope of holding anything back. Lost in the scent and feel of my mate, I surged forward, wrapping my arms around her as my knees hit the bed.

Her back bowed, hands tugging at the sheets, twisting them between her fingers as she tried to hang on, meeting the force of my thrusts with loud cries and moans. I thrust into her again and again, even harder, faster, determined to wring every last drop of pleasure from her body.

A growl escaped, my gaze locking on her neck. Tugging her back into my arms, I angled her head and bit down, my teeth slicing into her flesh and blood spilling.

On a scream of ecstasy, she tightened around me, pressing back and grinding herself against me as gossamer fine wings of cerulean blue erupted from her back, transparent and ghostly, lifting us up into the air. I found my release as a light erupted around us, thrusting into her again and again as we stayed locked in a never-ending circle of pleasure. My hand found hers, moving it to her pendant. Her power surged around us, the pendant glowing between our hands, as the heavy weight of destiny lifted away from me. For the first time in years, I could breathe. “I yield,” I whispered. “I would yield to you a thousand times over. You’re my world and I’ve already fallen for you. Let’s go home, sweetheart.”

A split second of darkness and we drifted back down to the bed, still joined as one. Her bed. We were finally home. I pressed a kiss to her neck, against the already healing wound. She would wear my scar forever, and every shiften would know that she was claimed, that she was mine.

And I was hers, her name carved inside my chest. Etched into my heart. My Bluebell. My one true mate.

Rolling over next to her, I gathered her into my side as she snuggled close, but only after she’d finished blinking at the room in astonishment.

She raised a hand.

My eyes that had been half closing, snapped open again, my body hers to command. “Yes, sweetheart?” Whatever she wanted, she would have. Be it ice cream or water or unicorns dancing the Macarena—

Her finger swirled in a circle. “Can we do that again?”

—Or sex. “Again?” My body was already responding, rising to the occasion.

“Over and over and over until we both forget how to walk.” She chuckled, the sound self depreciating, and I tilted my head to see her better. “Talking about walking, who’s ever heard of a half-angel klutz? It might have been pure luck that I’ve managed to avoid my own limbs for the last couple of weeks,” she muttered.

Hating her scowl, I dug my fingers into her sides, tickling a smile back onto her face until she was gasping and begging for mercy. Sprawled on top of her, my weight supported by my arms, I peered into her face, memorizing the curve of her cheek, the tilt of her mouth. “I would bet my left gonad that you were getting used to manipulating everything around you and your power tripped you up.”

Her face had screwed up, her eyes almost crossing.

I couldn’t resist popping a kiss on the end of her nose. I had already made a promise to myself that I would spend as long as it took to hunt down every freckle on her body, then count and catalogue them. Twice. Maybe three times. Whatever it took, I was the man for the job.

“Gonad?”

“Balls, sweetheart.” At her blank expression, I tried again, “I would give my left ball.” Just in case she was still confused, with a grin, I reached between us and cupped them.

“Ahhh…” She looked like she was trying not to laugh, then it escaped on a peal of sound. “Sometimes I forget you’re not from around here.”

“Yeah, me too.” Smoothing her hair back, I nuzzled her cheek, sneaking in a quick kiss. “But I’m not going anywhere, so that’s fine by me.”